Saturday, March 28th, we lost an 18-year member of our staff, our Program Director Meaghan (Nichols) Sammons, who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Girls Inc. has cancelled all after-school programs for Monday, March 30th.

Calling hours are on Friday, April 3rd from 4-8pm at New Comer Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd, Colonie. Funeral services will be on Saturday, April 4th at 10am also at New Comer Funeral Home. Girls Inc. will be closed Friday, April 3rd so that any Girls Inc. members and Girls Inc. staff who wish to attend Meaghan’s services may do so.

During the later stages of Meaghan’s illness, our Schenectady Site Manager, Diana Suits, has been our Interim Program Director. She will continue in that role until further notice. Diana has been with Girls Inc. for 15 years and is well-known by the members of Girls Inc.

Meaghan had ties to many schools in the Capital Region, and she was very familiar to our Girls Inc. members, who range from 5 to 18 years of age. Girls Inc. has notified those schools with which Meaghan and our organization has ties. Many of these children may have much difficulty with this news. We have asked the schools to put appropriate personnel in place to communicate with those students who are Girls Inc. members. The schools have informed us that they will have grief counselors available for those students. Girls Inc. will also have grief counselors available in our Schenectady and our Albany centers for our members as well as for our staff, on Monday, March 30th (for staff) and Tuesday, March 31st (for Girls Inc. members).

The Meaghan Nichols Sammons Scholarship is being established by Girls Inc. Donations can be sent to: Girls Inc., 962 Albany St. Schenectady, NY 12307 Attn: Meaghan Nichols Sammons Scholarship

We will communicate more information as it becomes known. For any other questions, please contact Girls Inc. Executive Director Ashley Jeffrey Bouck at (518) 423-3258.